


Last Weekend

by elwynclark



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (Comics), The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: AU, Genderswap, Pre-Zombie Apocalypse, genderswap AU, twd
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-14
Updated: 2016-05-14
Packaged: 2018-06-08 10:57:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6851956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elwynclark/pseuds/elwynclark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Darlina & Merlene always had a rough history, but they made do. A weekend camping trip is just what's needed for the two of them. (Genderswap AU! Daryl & Merle are both girls. NOT a ship of the two of them, they're just sisters instead of canon brothers.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Trip Out

**Author's Note:**

> HELLO. Been awhile. Gotta tell ya'll a story.. This popped out of nowhere really. It'll probably run for a couple more chapters then that's it. Essentially. I like to gender swap characters a lot. Because reasons. Also when I gender swap characters, I keep their names the same. Because again, reasons.
> 
> Overall, the whole idea of the Dixons' backstory really interests me. Daryl and Merle are my favorite characters on the show and with favorite characters comes a lot of thinking about said characters and here we are.
> 
> (Originally posted on ff by myself, same username, moving my favorites to ao3!) 
> 
> Hope you enjoy it!
> 
> ... 
> 
> Some info…
> 
> Characters-
> 
> Fem! Daryl Dixon- Age 19
> 
> Fem! Merle Dixon- Age 27
> 
> Setting-
> 
> Pre-Apocalypse in their home in Georgia. And the surrounding woods area for awhile.
> 
> This fic will be in Daryl's POV unless otherwise noted!

Ain't been a long time since Merle came around, not since I finished with school. I managed to graduate somehow, not sure how I managed that one yet. Whenever I was in class I was loved by my teachers but bullied by all the other kids. Every day they would call me redneck trash. Homeless. Worthless. Whore.

Because of Merle. At least the last part. She left her legacy at my old school a long 8 years ago. Teachers always remember ya, remember yer family. They knew I wasn't like Merle but they can all tell that I didn't want to be a part of any of this shit. Every kid in town knew my sister slept around. All the boys expected me to do it too.

Back in high school, Ain't a day went by when I didn't get money thrown at me. Expectin' me ta sex 'em up or something. Not my thing. And as much as my family needed the money, I never took any of it.

Family. That's an odd way to put it. I know how it's supposed to be, ain't the same fer me though. Uncle Jess let me work with him in his auto shop, fixing cars and bikes and things. He knew that I did a good job. Wouldn't let me start working till after I finished school though. Merle used to work in the garage with him, and I know he let her work during high school. Donno know why he wouldn't let me do the same.

Merle made me promise her not to be like her, and I didn't want ta be like her. Still don't wanna be like her. Although, she was all I had to look up to. She still made it clear to me, don't do the shit she was doing. Merle got into drugs, a lot of 'em, she smoked a lot, and fer as long as I can remember she'd always have boys over. She always called 'em sleepovers but I quickly figured out she did more than sleep with them. Good 'ol Dirty Dixie.

I stared ahead through the windshield while gripping the steering wheel tightly. Old memories suck. I barely have a handful of even slightly pleasant ones. This trip has the potential to make it to the handful but it could end bad. Wishful thinkin' I guess. My sister was slumped over in the passenger seat her head bopping back and forth, nothin' was gonna wake her up anytime soon. She got piss drunk before we left and barely made it into the truck.

We'd always talked about taking the weekend off for a real hunting trip on our own one day. I always asked her in the letters I wrote when she was away in the military. Don't even know if she got all of them. The only response I ever got was the one saying she'd been discharged, and it was just addressed to the family, not to me in particular.

Since she got discharged last year she floats in and out at home. Goes to the Sons a lot. I hate all of them. They come into the shop a lot, even though Jess won't give Merle her job back, they all ask for her. They always ask me where she is, and I don't know. Jess always has to send them away because they start getting too close and in my face. Little things like that set my temper off immediately, sometimes I feel like Jess is trying to protect me also.

My pick up truck is an old ford, dusty grey. Got it running all on my own and wouldn't trade it for the world. It's the only thing of value to me, apart from my hunting crossbow also. Lucky me I get to use both this weekend. I needed this weekend. Needed to get away from the garage. Away from home and Dad. Merle knows what Dad does to me but doesn't care anymore. Whenever she's home she's either stoned or with another guy, and it's never for a long time. It's a miracle I got her to come with me for a whole weekend.

Practically had to bribe her with my entire stash of pot to get her to come with me. Some weekends I come up alone. Merle would go up with Dad a lot when she was here before the military. She always came back in tears. I remember it was like that every time. Dad sent me with Uncle Jess for the weekend, if he remembered. I'd just go over there on my own sometimes when they would leave.

The hunting trips with Merle were what I liked the best. Once we'd get there she'd try her best to sober up and help me. Teach me how to use the crossbow. First time I used it was when I was still little. Couldn't do it that well. She did most of the real hunting while I tracked squirrels and practiced throwing knives and things. Then she left for the military and left me with Dad. I'd go up on my own, learn how to use it properly.

I'm pretty deadly now, Merle hasn't seen me use it since before she left a long time ago. She didn't really notice that I put a second crossbow in the back for her along with all the other gear. Before she got piss drunk this time I made her help me at the shop put the cap on the bed of my pickup so we wouldn't have to set up a tent this time.

"Aint such a dummy anymore" was all she could say to me once I actually laid down in the bed to show her it's big enough for sleeping. Drove back home and she got drunk while I packed everything we needed.

I glanced at my sister again and smirked a little, still managed to look like a badass while she was asleep. Ever since I was little she always was wearing leather somewhere. Whether it was that cuff bracelet she always wore or her vest, sometimes she even had black leather pants. Who was I to judge, she hung out with a ton of dudes who ride motorcycles. She does to so it was just fitting the part.

She has a bunch of leather vests, each with a design on the back. My personal favorite was the one with angel wings covering the entire back. When I knew she wasn't around I would wear that one a lot. I knew she would skin me if she saw me wearing it though. Right now she was wearing one that I could just barely see the logo peeking out from behind it. I could just see a "D" on her left shoulder, it was the one that said "Dixie." Under that was the Savage Sons logo, a hellish looking skull with the "SS" logo branded on it's forehead, plus it was smoking a cigarette. It really fit the Sons way too well. She hit the nail on the head with it. I remember she showed it to me a long time ago when it was just a drawing she made on a whim. Next week she shows me the patch on her vest.

One time Merle told me she wants to open up our own bike shop one day. She was totally sober telling me this too. It was right when she got back from the military. Said I can do all the fixing, make 'em run really good cuz I'm good at that. She'd do all the detailing and make 'em look nice. It's a good plan. Just, it's never gonna be more than a plan. Maybe if she smartens up one day it could be.

Merle had a black tank top on and a bright green bra, one of the straps had fallen down. Still managed to push her boobs up to her chin somehow. I focused on the road again then glanced down at my own chest. I'm flatter than a fuckin' board. Doesn't help that I usually always wear a sports bra.

You'd never know we're related, me and Merle. We don't really look the same, body wise and definitely don't dress the same. I had a beaten blue flannel shirt on that I ripped the sleeves off of at work one day and my plain black bra. Some faded pants I usually wear to work, with holes in both knees, and the brown boots I wear every single fucking day. Stole one of Merle's belts though, a black one with a plain silver buckle. She probably wouldn't notice, this one was just thrown in the back of her closet.

Her pants were jet black and tighter than her skin. Also had scary looking black combat boots, which went to her knees and had red laces keeping them tied up. She had them propped up on the dashboard and I was amazed she hadn't moved yet, it looked way too uncomfortable. She had a relatively plain black belt with a big silver buckle shaped like a skull. I'm grateful I made her pack clothes yesterday while she was sober than she could actually go walking around in the woods in. Her hands were riddled with silver colored rings and bracelets, adding to the leather cuff. She only wore one necklace, if I wasn't counting the red spots on her neck. A single chain with a bullet casing on it.

One thing we had in common, we both only had one necklace on. Mine was a thin chain and the charm on it was a pair of angel wings. Took me awhile to save up to get it. Every time I was about to get it, Dad had blown his last welfare money on something and I had to help him. Getting the pick up was different. The owner sold it to Jess after it was almost totaled. Jess helped me get new parts for it but left me to get it working again when I had free time.

A necklace. I scoffed a little and focused on the almost empty road. That's the only thing we have in common. We share a name. I shrugged a little. Ain't much. My hair was much darker and longer than her's, her's has been light colored and short ever since I can remember.

I can't remember how long I had been driving for, I knew sundown was gettin close and was hoping I had remembered how to get to our spot. Finally the scenery grew familiar again and I smiled.

"Ain't bad fer the first time driving and navigatin' " I muttered under my breath and pulled off the road onto a dirt road into the woods. The sudden change in terrain jostled Merle awake finally.

"We're fucken here?!" She barked and whacked my arm. "Why'd ya let me sleep bug?"

"Yew were drunk and passed out, bitch." I responded and glanced at her quickly. She glared at me. " 'Sides, ya know how long we gotta go on this road."

"Fuckin' forever." She muttered and squinted at the sun when it came into view, we were headed exactly west, directly into the sunset. "Ya have to drive right into the sun Darlene?"

"Ain't any other way there Merle." I growled softly and she shut up for a little while.

My old ford puttered down the dirt road for a long while. Turning left and right unannounced, still always going west right towards the sun. Merle grumbled every time I turned sharply. I assured her I definitely wasn't doing it on purpose… The clearing in the woods appeared suddenly and I circled around to a stop, parking and cutting the engine.

"Shit still looks the same lil' sis." Merle said as she slammed her door behind her and looked at me standing near the hood of my truck. I shrugged and slammed my door.

"Same game, same people. Ain't nothin too excitin."

Merle shuffled around in her vest as she walked around looking at the camp area. I smiled a little, she would always do this. Scope out the place first to make sure it's safe then declare it's safe and come back over. Figured I'd start sorting through equipment and opened up the back of the cap and the tailgate on my truck. The skull on the back of her vest mocked me smoking the cigarette. I went back up to the cab of my truck and opened to door, grabbing my box of cigarettes out of the door and my lighter out of my pocket. Lit one up and slammed the door shut with my foot.

"It's safe!" Merle declared and turned back to face me. She wiped near her nose a little bit a sniffled. I frowned a little bit, she just got high. Merle just smiled as she sauntered back across the clearing to me. I focused on getting the stuff for the fire pit when I felt her hand grab my shoulder, she had her arm around me. "Safest it's ever been dear sister." She laughed hoarsely and actually started to help move stuff out of the truck. I took a long drag from my cigarette and held it in my mouth and unearthed a milk crate with supplies.

"Whatever Merle. Ain't like something is gonna attack us or something." I muttered and undid my belt and reached for my hunting knife I stowed into the milk crate. Took my cigarette for a second and exhaled a little then put it back into my mouth. I put Merle's knife on the tailgate next to me then fixed my belt again. "Grab yer knife." She noticed it sitting there and swiped it off the gate, immediately fixing it onto her belt.

"Where's my bow girl?" She asked me and I kept moving the camping supplies around.

"Ain't important right now, gotta get camp set up first." I said and immediately regretted speaking. I took my cigarette out and exhaled again.

"Well I'll be. Who died and made yew queen of the camp?" Merle threw her words at me and I stared at the bed of my truck. I ground my cigarette into the tailgate putting it out then threw it on the ground, stamping on it again to be safe. A couple quivers of arrows were sticking out of a box in the bed and Merle reached for them, pulling the box out. "I want my bow." She takes one out of the box and points it to me, arrowhead a few inches away from my face. "Where is it Daryl?" I flinch a little and stare at the arrow.

"In the truck bitch, jezus." I pulled myself up onto the tailgate and crawled into the bed of the truck, being mindful not to hit my head on the cap. Towards the cab end I tossed a few blankets to the side revealing the two crossbows. I sighed and grabbed her old one and lifted it up. I picked my way back to the tailgate again slowly and handed it to her. "Happy?"

"Yeah." Merle nods a little looking at it. "I am." She throws it over her shoulder and starts to walk towards the treeline.

"Where ya goin dumbass?"

"Ta find firewood nipslip, that ok with yew?" Merle smirked and I rolled my eyes letting her keep going, leaving me to set up the rest of the camp. Her comment rolled through my mind finally and I looked down at my chest, completely covered.

What a twat.


	2. When you left

My sister is taking awhile. My best guess is that she's out taking a shit somewhere. She may be a girl, don't mean she's a fuckin lady though. She's tougher than nails but I'd be scared if she was a pansy.

"More terrifyin' if she was a marigold." I muttered to myself and smirked as I pushed the last crate to the side of the bed in my pickup.

Despite it being on a piece of hard steel, the bed I made looks kinda comfy. Stole a couple blankets from home and laid 'em down first on the truck bed then I stacked a few other blankets on top near the cab, all folded up still, so they won't get all messed up whenever Merle does come back.

Ain't a time we actually had a sleepin' bag. Looked at 'em at the store every now and then but anytime I wanted ta buy one, had less than lint in my pockets. All the other camping shit we've pulled together piece by piece, from stuff people don't want at tag sales to the community center, which really never helped us when we needed it most, and an occasional good guy who came into Jess's shop.

My old boyfriend Lyle helped out a lot getting all my things ready to come up. Best boyfriend I ever had, only true boyfriend I ever had. All the other boys would try to touch me and take advantage of me, they'd do it sometimes and I hated it. Lyle was different. Came out of the blue really, bent down to pick up my books one day when someone else knocked 'em out of my hands.

I can't help but smile as I walk to the campfire I got started without Merle's help, or firewood, and sink into one of the lawn chairs right near it. Lyle had a motorcycle, and he wasn't a filthy Savage Son. Just a guy and a bike. Sometimes he'd actually come to me for help to fix it, taught me a lot of what I know now about bikes.

The cooler was right near me, between the other chair in front of the firepit, it was packed with ice, beer, and a little bit of food. I dug into the chest and unearthed a can of Bud. I cracked it open and let it foam over a little, watching it run down my hand. Exactly what would always happen to Lyle. Every time he'd open a beer it explode all over him. I smiled again thinking about him.

I never thought I get the feeling that I missed someone so much. He made going to school better for me, gave me a place instead of home to go to. Even though once I did get home, Dad beat me more than ever. Just fer being out with a boy.

Lyle died last year right after we graduated. I was with him. My grip on the can tightened and I took a long swig then placed it on the ground near my chair. I was with him, on his motorcycle. It was a normal day, he always made me wear his helmet. Someone drove straight into us, threw us both. He went one way, me the other, bike somewhere else. It happened to fast, I was barely scratched.

They said he was dead when they got there. Once I got home, Dad didn't even know I was in an accident. He got mad at me for being late, really mad. That was one of the nights he did more than just hurt my back, adding more to my emotional scars instead.

Next day I dropped by the shop, asking Uncle Jess for a job and saw Lyle's bike sitting inside the cage. Jess said if I could fix it, it was mine. My first official project. Got it running again within a couple days, still working on the detailing every now and then. Merle's better at doing detailin' then I am. My truck came in a few weeks after that and I've been set with that ever since.

Even though it runs perfectly, can't pull myself ta ride his bike, reminds me too much of 'm. Taught myself how ta ride on Merle's one day when Lyle was still around. Fun driving next ta him sometimes instead of clinging to 'm like a mud turtle. Didn't like ta take Merle's out fer too long though cuz then the Sons would start harassing me once they saw it.

My crossbow leaned against the back tire of my pickup, a quiver of arrows laying on the ground near it. Only got this thing second hand at a pawn shop, Lyle went with me. He actually bought the damn thing, said I "shouldn't be usin' my sister's because she'll be ripshit when she finds out." I slid out of my chair then swiped my bow off the ground and loaded a new bolt into it.

"Better get yer practice in before ya make a fool of yerself." I mumbled and aimed at a tree at the edge of the clearing. Ping. It landed right in the center of the tree trunk, I smirked and made a little fist pump. I pulled tight on the wire again and reloaded it. Told Merle that'd I had come up alone a few times, not true, ain't never been up here alone. When I came up 'alone' I brought Lyle with me.

Essentially, the bed of my truck has seen more than a guy and a girl just sleepin'...

"Yer elbow's too high dummy." Merle's scratchy voice echoed from behind me and I spun around, subconsciously aiming it at her. Her hair was down now and she reeked of smoke, eyes looked a little red too but might just be the sun going down. "If yer gonna aim it at me, do it right bug."

"Fine." I readjust my grip and lower my elbow like she just told me. Merle pulls her crossbow off her back and points it at me.

"Yew were doin' this girl," My sister over exaggerates her elbow, sticking it up in the air. "Ya do that, yer bolt is goin' into the ground." Ping. Her arrow lands right between my feet and I jump a little backwards. Merle's laugh echoes across the clearing.

"Shit, got it." I muttered and swiped the arrow out of the ground, then loaded it into my bow. I straightened up and aimed right behind Merle at another tree.

"Don't ferget ta breathe Darlina." She lowered her bow, staring at me down the spine of mine. Ping. The arrow launched and sunk directly into the tree I aimed for.

"Thanks fer the lesson Sis." I smirked a little and Merle smiled genuinely at me, glancing back at the arrow lodged in the tree. "So where's yer firewood?"

"Looks like ya got it covered." Merle points to my firepit and pulls out a new cigarette from her vest pocket, sticking the end into the flames to light it. "Got a couple squirrels, easy game." She pulled two limp furry animals from behind her, musta stuck them in her belt or something. "Skin 'em Darlene, I'll cook dinner."

"Got it." I mumbled and took both squirrels from her. Merle taught me how to skin 'em properly a long time ago, I can do it pretty good now. When I was little, didn't really like seeing them get even more dead than they already were.

"Save the tails, and don start cryin' on me." Merle mocked me a little and cracked open the cooler between the chair. When I was little Merle always let me keep the tails, better than any of the stuffed animals I never had when I was little. Don't know why she wants them now. "They're good luck, girl."

I rolled my eyes and started gutting the squirrel with my knife, being extra careful to cut along the lining of fat, not going too deep into the meat. Merle's back was to me but I could still feel the stupid skull on the back of her grinning at me. If I moved my head up at all, the black eye sockets dug into me. I swiped one of the tails and flung it at Merle, just making it swish the ends of her hair.

"AY, bitch." Merle muttered and grabbed at her short hair trying to figure out what I threw at her. She held onto a can of beer with her other hand, I could tell it was almost empty. "Ya done yet, bug?"

"Yeah, where do ya want 'em?" I said and Merle turned in her lawn chair and looked at me. She looked at my face, scanning it for signs of me crying for sure. Merle smiled a little bit and grabbed a metal poker from one of the crates then turned back to me.

"Skewer 'em." She handed the metal rod to me and I stared at it. "Gonna do a nice rotisserie. Be fuckin' delicious." She turned back around and I just stared at the two skinned squirrels in front of me then at the metal stick in my hand. I swallowed deeply then slowly moved to the first squirrel.

Half gagging, I pushed the raw meat onto the rod. Merle turned around a few times and laughed at me, I just let her. Still not as tough as her, probably ain't ever gonna be that tough but, maybe might put up a really good front one day. I took a deep breath and skewered the other skinned squirrel onto the rod and held it out to my sister.

"Have fun cookin', Chef Boyardee." I muttered and stalked to the back of my truck to grab the jug of water. The guts and blood on my hands were making me gag. Merle kept chuckling to herself as I washed my hands off then dumped some water over my head also, fucking hotter than hell still even though it was past sundown.

My sister was happy, I could tell. She had a beer in one hand, cigarette in the other, and just stared at the firepit. She was quiet, which was rare, but there wasn't anything that she should be mad at me or the world for. I unbuttoned my shirt and wiped my face off with it. At least I'm a little bit refreshed now.

"So where's this boy of yer's?" Merle asked the moment I turned to go grab the two arrows out of the trees.

"What?" I choked out a little bit. I don't remember telling Merle about Lyle, maybe I mentioned him in a letter. She never responded to any of my letters though. Probably never got them.

"Ya wrote me that there wuz a boy chasin' ya." Merle eyed me from head to toe, my shirt was still open, showing my bruised belly, sports bra, and the long, still slightly fresh, scar across my chest. A couple weeks ago I was working on a bike in the shop and the belt snapped right in front of me, leavin' a long ugly slice mark on my chest. I didn't care if people saw this one, this was a story I'd be proud to share. "No offense sis, who the hell would wanna chase yew?"

"Well," I swallowed deeply, trying to choose my words carefully. "He did." The first arrow came out of the tree easily, it was the one I shot before Merle came back.

"Men are pigs Daryl. Dixons are pigs. Yer a pig. Now, who'd want ta be with a pig?" Merle sputtered as I grabbed the other arrow, struggling a little bit to dislodge it.

"Ain't a pig Merle, me er Lyle." The arrow finally loosened from the tree and I staggered back a little, holding onto it tight.

"The boy's name was Lyle then.." Merle made a weird 'ooooh' noise then muttered. "Ain't as bad as Cooter…"

"That douchebag wasn't a even man Merle. He was, a lil bitch." I said and tossed the two arrows near the quiver on the ground.

"Hey!" Merle stood up and looked at me. "He ain't a lil bitch, ya maggot. I see 'm like every day, with the Sons now." I groaned the moment she mentioned the biker gang.

"Everything's fine with the Sons." I muttered and sank down into the other lawn chair, ignoring my impending sibling standing near me. "The Sons are all good men. The Sons are my family. Ha. Bullshit."

"Don't yew go bashin' them now! What'd they do ta yew girl?" Merle said and stood in front of me with her arms crossed. As much as I wanted to look away from her, her gaze was too intimidating to even think of it, even though her eyes were bloodshot.

"Took my family away from me." I said and stared back at her. She frowned and sat down in her chair next to mine, on the other side of the cooler.

"Well." She said and opened up the cooler again, rooting around for another beer. "Ya got me here right now, and ya said they took me away?" I scowled at the ground and heard the cooler slam shut. "Hrmph, thought so." The can cracked open and I stared at the dancing flames, then at the two cooking squirrels. They were starting to smell like a good satisfyin' meal. "Ya been like this since I got back from the army. Any time I mention the boys ya freak the fuck out. Why, bug?"

"Ain't important." I muttered and reached to the cooler to grab another can. No idea where my other one went, Merle probably already drank it. There was a growing stack of at least 4 beer cans near the firepit.

"Ay, ya 21 yet?" She asked and slammed the cooler shut. I glared at her trying my best to make her feel uncomfortable.

"Fuckin' blow me, ya ho." I muttered and shoved her hand off the cooler and grabbed another can. Merle glared at me for a little then turned back to the firepit. "No." I said after a long silence, I had already finished half the beer.

"What?" Merle asked me, she was finally coming off her high now and flicked her cigarette butt into the fire.

"Ain't 21 yet. Still 19." I said, starin' at the two squirrels again. I moved my hand out and turned the rod a little so they'd get cooked through.

"Ah, ta be 19 again." Merle sighed and tossed her can to the stack she made. "No, actually, landed myself in jail when I was 19. Don't ever do that Daryl." She looked at me and pointed a finger at me. I nodded slowly, unsure if she was still super drunk or not.

The squirrels were done. We both sat there in silence for a while, stuffing our faces with the fresh kill, cooked perfectly actually. Squirrels are easy, because they're such dummies. They'll run right at you instead of trying to run away if you're quiet enough. We always get a couple for dinner, that way we don't have to bring up food with us, ain't like we got food at home anyways. We spend the next day setting out at first light, get as much as we can, sometimes a deer if we're lucky. Usually just a bunch of raccoons and opossums and other small game like that. Skin 'em, gut 'em, preserve 'em, then we do the same thing again the next day, 'cept we go home the next day.

"Ya know why I don't like the Sons, Merle?" I said after we both sat there staring at the firepit. Merle was totally sober now, apart from smoking a cigarette right now, but so was I.

"Coo, there's a real reason then?" Merle asked, her eyebrows shooting up, and looked at me. I nodded slowly.

"When ya left fer the army, I was 13 or 14 or somethin' like that." I started and Merle just stared at the fire, I knew she was listening though. "And yew were like 15 er 16 when ya first started hangin' out with them."

"Yup, some son of a bitch dared me ta go buy weed from their captain. Didn't know that till I got in there. Loved me ever since." Merle said and grinned. She was the only girl in the Savage Sons, apart from the occasional whore that came in to pleasure the boys. She was the only one who ever stayed, the only girl who belonged there. All because she had the balls to go in there by herself and stand up to all of them when she was only 16.

"I figured, if yew can do it I can." I said with a shrug and Merle looked at me.

"I thought I told ya never ta do what I did Daryl." She scolded me and I looked at her.

"I know ya did. Wasn't really thinkin' of that promise right at that moment though. Thought they were an exception or somethin." I could see Merle shaking her head out of the corner of my eye and her cigarette just hung from the corner of her mouth. "Waited till I was 16 first. Then one day, yew'd been gone for about a few years by now, I took your vest that has the wings on it, walked right in the front door of that place. They all just stared at me, til they saw my back. Some guy knew that it was your's, thought I stole it or somethin', and they brought me back to the guy who was the captain."

"Benny Bills." Merle muttered and I could see her smirk a little. "Always get a good fuck outta him." She added quietly and I tried my best to ignore her.

"They brought me to 'm and he asked me why I was there. Said I wanted ta join, and, I ain't ever gonna forget this Merle." She looked at me, still smoking. "He knew who I was, said ya showed him a picture of me awhile ago, said I was really pretty. Not as pretty as yew though."

"Daryl.. Yer mad because the Sons think I'm prettier than yer worthless ass?" She asked and smirked, half laughin.

"Shut it, no that ain't it!" I fired back and she shut up. "Lemme finish." Her mouth pressed into a straight line and she looked away, taking another drag from her cigarette. "He asked me, if I knew what ya did when yew were there. Said, wasn't really sure but ya really liked it. They all laughed at me, and while everyone was laughin' the captain just says, 'Your sister is our whore Daryl, you sure you want that too?' And I didn't know what to say really. I just kind stood there." Merle looked at her boots, kicking at the dirt scowling at it a little.

"Wasn't their whore." She muttered and I kept going with my story.

"Got worse though. They all started getting' rough and shit and started grabbin' at me. I got a few punches in, gave a guy a bloody nose but they held me back before I could really hurt someone. The guys that were round the captain took me to one of the rooms upstairs. They," I paused and shifted in my chair bringing one of my knees up so I could hug it. "Got raped Merle. That's why I don't like the Sons."

"…. Ya fought back and, they.." Merle shook her head and looked at me. There were some tears in my eyes. "…. They, never told me anythin' Daryl." She threw her cigarette into the fire and got out of her chair, pulled me out of mine too. "Look at me Daryl."

"What?" I snapped and looked at her. Some of my hair was stuck to my face since it was still damp from earlier and plus now there was a river flowing from my eyes. "Ya happy what your family did ta yer own sister?!"

"No," Merle groaned and shook her head. "No, no no. I ain't happy." All of a sudden Merle hugged me and I awkwardly stood there, unsure if I wanted to return the hug. " 'M angry cuz they lied ta me. Never said a word bout it."

"Well," I squeaked out and slowly moved my arms to hug her back. "Ain't an easy subject ta talk about."

"I told ya never ta do what I do, and," She stopped talking and still hugged onto me. "It's not your fault Daryl. Ya had the balls enough ta go in there, with more reasons than I did for the first time." She loosened her hug and rested her hands on my shoulders, staring directly at me. "It ain't never your fault."

"I know." I mumbled through the tears streamin down my face. "I just, just wanted yew ta know that, Sis." I pulled away from her and walked over to my truck. Checked out for the night, what I needed most right now was to sleep. And avoid anything else that she might have in store for me.


	3. Trick of the Light

Before i got into the back of the truck I tossed both crossbows into the front, on the seat. I snagged another cigarette from the door and slid it into my mouth. My sister was still by the fire, sitting down now. She was poking at the fire with one of the skewers we used for the squirrels and a cigarette dangling from her free hand. I pushed my knife out of the way and grabbed my lighter out of pocket and lit the end of the one in my mouth. I flipped it closed and slid it back into my pocket.

Merle stood up suddenly and flung her cigarette into the fire. She ripped her leather vest off and whipped it to the ground. Little plastic bags flew out of the pockets. I stared at her, one hand on the open door of my truck and the other grabbing the cig from my lips. She kicked the leather into the ground. Stomped on it. Jumped around like she's wishing for rain.

"Fucking, don' talk to her, er me er FUCK!" She kept screaming at her vest and stepped back from it. She violently kicked it one more time and it floated towards the edge of the woods. I slammed the door shut of my truck and took a drag finally. She looked over at me.

"Sorry." I mumbled as I exhaled the smoke.

"Thought yew went to sleep." She shrugged and ran a hand through her hair. It had poofed out with all of her jumping around.

"Woke me up." I lied and she shook her head.

"Didn't even get there did ya?" I shook my head no and walked over towards her.

"C'mon grab the other end." I muttered and grabbed one side of the cooler by her feet. She grabbed the other side and groaned. I led us around to the passenger side of the truck and opened the door with my free hand. Exhaling smoke out of the corner of my mouth, trying to keep the cigarette in the other corner. "I got it." I took her end as well and slid that side onto the floor of the truck. We always need to put the cooler away at least, just in case any animals wander into the camp in the middle of the night.

"Christ Daryl, don't kill yerself. That's my job." She snickered and I shoved the cooler all the way into the truck and slammed the door.

"Yeah well, get in line behind the cooler." I walked back around the truck again, flicking my cigarette into the fire. "Im turnin' in now, close the tailgate when you do." I tapped her shoulder and she swatted it away.

"Sure, bug." She crossed her arms and turned back to the fire. I shuffled over to the truck, scratching the back of my head. The tailgate and cap door were already open and I sat on the edge of the tailgate. My feet dangled over the edge as I wrestled my boots off then tucked them right inside the bed of the truck, near the edge of the gate.

The back of the truck was comfy enough, beats sleeping on the ground. Before we left I snagged every extra blanket in the house for padding. I crawled on top of the blankets and stretched out, leaving space to my left for my sister.

The ceiling of the cap stared back at me and I smirked looking up at the beams. Tucked behind the beam above me was an old photo, me and Lyle. I reached up and pulled it free. My eyes started watering a little as I stared at it, haven't been that happy since then.

Both of us were smiling, ear to ear grins. He's hugging me from behind with one hand and taking the picture with his other. I placed the photo next to me on the blanket and blinked back tears. Slowly I turned onto my side and pulled my knees closer and tugged at the blankets to cover my face slightly. The picture was still in my sight and I moved my hand to touch it, making sure it was actually there.

A loud thud shook me awake and I sat up quickly, hitting my head on the cap over me. I grabbed it with both of my hands and grumbled a fuck to myself. My sister's laugh echoed from the other side of the truck bed.

"Fuck you Merle, said close it dont break it." I muttered and looked over to see her lay on her belly next to me.

"How else was I supposed to close it? Sometimes it takes a hammer for the job." She shrugged and rolled over to her side. I looked at her then rolled my eyes. "Get some rest Darlina, big day tomorrow."

"I know, 'm tryin'. Be easier if ya shut up." She whacked me on the shoulder and I readjusted to lay in my back, rubbing my shoulder gently.

I patted the blanket to my right, the opposite from my sister, and felt the photo still laying there and I sighed quietly.

My sister's breathing evened out after a while and I was still staring at the beams in the cap again. I glanced over at her, she'd ditched her boots and pants and was just wearing her tank top, bra, and underwear from earlier. The blanket she had covering her was balled up around her ankles. Mine was tucked under my chin, I looked like a blanket with a head while she was a body with a piece of a blanket.

I was laying on my side when I noticed it, thought it was just from the moonlight at first but there was something else. Her shirt was riding up, revealing her pierced belly button, but that wasn't what caught my eye. On my sister's stomach was a long scar, all the way across her belly. I stared at it wide eyed, not knowing what could have caused that.

She musta had a baby. Was the only thing I could even think of. Only women who get cut open like that for their babies have scars like that. Shit, she was gone long enough. I looked at it again she snorted suddenly. I nearly jumped out of my skin and I flipped over immediately.

Her light snoring evened out again and I stared at the wall of the truck bed. She woulda told me about it, if something like that happened. I nuzzled into my blanket and closed my eyes. Ask tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I continue? You guys like Darlina & Merlene? Should I switch over to some zombie drama too?
> 
> Thank you for reading!!!


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